As the city of Tucson continues to try and work out a deal to purchase seven acres of land for a new downtown arena, one part of the deal still needs to be worked out. The man the city is buying the land from says he’ll sell on one condition – that the city find a place for him to put his annual gem show, and they are considering the roof of the Tucson Convention Center.

It’s hard to find a Tucsonan who hasn’t attended the annual gem show at least once. When the show comes to town each February, it is quite literally held everywhere. But one place it won’t be, if City Council has it’s way, is on a plot of land along South Granada Avenue that has traditionally been the home to Allan Norville’s Gem Show.

“Over the last year, we’ve been talking with him (Norville) quite intensively, and I’m hoping we’re really close to getting the land,” says councilmember Nina Trasoff. The city will buy the land for $17 million dollars, provided it can relocate Norville’s Gem Show.

The best idea on the table right now is to build a space on the roof of the Tucson Convention Center. The city is in the process of doing tests to find out whether the TCC can handle the extra weight on the roof.

If the plan goes through, the roof would take the form of what’s called a “tensile structure,” similar to the tent-like structures found at Reid Park. “What an intriguing, unusual space,” says Trasoff. “Great views of the mountains and the downtown skyline.”

Trasoff says the council should know whether the idea to build on the roof is feasible within the next 10 days. Meantime if the plan goes through, Trasoff says the space would be used for dancing, receptions and other conventions the rest of the year.